Improvement in harness



tanica 'eine @wat @attira Letters PatentNo. 104,806, 'dated June 28, 1876.

- The Schedule referred to in these Lettere Patent:l and making part of the same To all 'whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, LEWIS WEITEHEAD, of Nulida, in the county of Livingston and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Neck-Straps to Breast-Collars; and I do hereby de- :clare that'the following vis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being hadtothe accompa- .nying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart -of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the constructiou ofthe neck-straps of harness, as will'be hereinafter fully set forth.`

In order to enable others skilled vin theart to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will uo'w proceed to describe itis constructionand operation, referring to the annexed drawings, which represent a perspective view of'my improved neck-strap.

A represents a pad, made-ot' cloth and stued, and provided at each end with a loop, a, through which pass the neck-straps B B.

These straps are .made of one piece of leather, split as shown in the drawings, the split'ends passingthrough the loops a a on the pad- A, and having rings, l), at their outer ends.

The main portion oi' the leather piece forming the neck-strap is provided with abuckle, C, and ring,lD, as shown. i

The ring D is to be hooked ou to the hook on the gig-saddle, while the rings b b are to be'stitched onto the breast-collar, making the adjustment on top of f the back, instead of at the sides, as heretofore.

This neck-strap isa decided improvement over the old style, as there has always been great annoyance felt by drivers in vconsequence of the reins cat-ching under the end ot' the neck-strap, where it buckled ou the' side of thebreast-collar. The buckles ou the sides where the neck-strap wasfiastened sometimes wear the thills, and alsorough up the lines, andthe neckstrap will always rot where the buckles come, if continuedinoneiplace for a length of= time. The. old kind of neck-strap also wears down .into the neck of the horse.

Another kind of neck-strap has also been used, fastened in the old wa'y by the side buckles, and

rounded above them, with a ring inthe center. The ring, instead of resting ou the top of the neck, was hooked over `the hook of the gig-saddle; but when used,thchorse pulling against the breast-collar, and

directly from the breast-collar toy the check-hook, it

pulled hard ou the gig-saddle, and that strained against the crupper, which made the under part of the taii sore, and that kind of neck-strap is gone most entirely out of use.

Now, my neck-strap has the advantages of both and the disadvau tages of neither'. It does away with the side buckles, not catching lines on the ends-sticking out below the loops; no rusting out at the buckleholes, no1' tearing from the strain of the buckletongue.

The pad, to rest on the top of the neck, being made of cloth and stuii'ed, will not wear off the hair. The manner in which the neck-strap passes through the loops at the ends of the pad and fastens to the checkhook has a tendency to lift the pressure of the pad on the top of the neck, and, at the same time, the passing of the meek-strap through the'loops, before it goes to the check-hook, obviates the difculty of pulling against the horses clupper entirely. Another thing, it is much easier and more pleasant to regulate the length of the neck-strap with the buckle on top than to have t'o pass around the horse'aud do it at the sides, especially where the horse is attached to the carriage, andthe'n the thills are much in the way.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The neck-straps B B, constructed as described, with their' ends stitched tu the breast-collar' and passing through the connecting-pad A, and having their adj ustuient on top of the back, substantially as andlfor the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention, I ax my signature in presence of two witues'ses.

L. WHITEHEADr Witnesses GEO. M. OseoonBY, JOHN R. GURNEE. 

